“I had the opportunity to work with former Speaker Rod Searle during his distinguished service in the Minnesota legislature. Rod was a principled leader, a dedicated public servant, and a true gentleman. He was elected Speaker of the House in 1979, because he held the respect and trust of both Republican and DFL members in that deadlocked chamber.”

The Mankato Free Press said that late in his life, Searle split with the Republican Party, saying: “My party has abandoned me.”

The paper said:

In 2010 Searle was among a group of Republican former lawmakers who endorsed Independence Party candidate for governor Tom Horner, rather than the Republican-endorsed candidate, Tom Emmer. The state Republican party took action against those in the group, preventing them from serving as delegates to the state or national party conventions for two years.